Trolley for electric cars



Aug. 25, 1931.

H. E, Bu1`1fl TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC cARs Filed May 16, 1930 y Patented Aug. 25, 1931 Lazare UNITED reinarssA Partnr orties HARRY E. norms, 'or -snnnnsirm onto, nssienor. or cnn-HALF 'ro nnMn-Nn 1;..y STEWART, er sannnsKY, onto TnoLLEY non nnncrnro sans application insa Mayas, reso. serial no. 45eme.

This invention relates to trolleys for elec-y tric cars, has special reference to an im# proved construction of trolley.pole `and forli or harp, and contact roller mounted there vide fa 'troll-eyior electric cars employing as a-contact'ineimber a roller 1n place Offawheel, which 11s free to rotate on its own azi-is, as

movements, whereby ya reliable `contact between the trolley and trolley wire will always be maintained.

A vfurther object of 'the invention is to ensured, and the roller arranged in such man- Y ner that under all normal conditionsfof service, the trolley can n ot Jump the trolley wire even in the event of "the contact roller momentarily moving out of Iengagem'ent theren` with. 25

construction, combination land 'arrangement of parts,- hereinafter -fully described and claimed, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, in which G F ig. 1 is a view in side elevation,with parts broken away, of a trolley constructed in accordance with my invention'.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bearing block.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the trolley pole, and 2 the trolley head or frame, which latter has a base or stem portion 3 provided with a socket 4 to receive the upper end ot the pole 1 to which the trolley head or trarne is connected by suitable fastening means 5.

The trolley frame or head has a harp or fork portion comprising independent side members or plates 6 and 7. One of these plates, as the plate 6, may be integral with the base or stem 2 or permanently fixed there- 5e to, while the other plate 7 is detachably con- The main object of the invention is to pro-f 0 welllas :Er-ee to'have yielding upv and down-v The invention consists of the features of nested with the plate 6, as by means 'of tasten Y ing bolts or screws 8. f

The opposed inner faces of the side :members or plates 6 and 7 are recessed to cooperatively provide a chamber 9 having a bottom portion 10 closed vexcepty lfor communication with a guide opening 11 extend'- ing therefrom downwardly through the npper rear portion of the lbase :or stem 2. The chamber v9 open at its upper end and come' inunicates with a guide channel 12 fori-ned by and between upper portions 13 of ith-e members 6 and ,7 ci' reduced thickness. The channel 12 i-s designed to receive the "trol'ley wire and permit engagement of the trolley therewith and the parts 1.3 serve ias side guards or ilanges to hold the trolley V'head .in engagement with the trolley wire and 'from lateral disconnection from the trolley `wire, as hereinafter fully described.

The side walls of the recesses of the respective plates 6 and 7 forming the chamber 9 serve as guides for avertica'lly :movable bearing member or bloclr 14. This block is provided in its upper -tace with a semi-circu-- lar bearing recess or cavity 15 to receive a circular contact roller 16, andthe upper iace of the block is also provided with a countersink or chamber 17-arranged at right angles to the recess 15-to receive la suitableilubricant to keep the bearing and `contact roller Asuitably lubricated.

' rIhe bloclr 14C is mounted uponlthe upper end or a gui-de rod or stem 18 projecting downwardly Lthrough the Jchamber '9 and the guide opening 11 to center and guide the block 14 in its movements, and encircling that portion of the rod arranged in the chamber 9 in `a coiled cushioning and pressure spring 19 which has its base on the `bottom wall 10 of said chamber and is sea-ted at its upper end in a recess 20 in the bottom of the `bearirig block. This spring permits the bearing block 14 to move downwardly in itsguidewayto accommodate itselflto variations inthe level of portions Voi the :trolley wire' and to undulations therein, whileat'alil tinies yieldingly forcing y.the block np'wa-rd 'to ymainta-inthe contact roller 16 in'engagement with vthe trolley wire. v

The' roller 16 is fitted to turn in the bearing recess 15 of the block and in retaining or stop recesses 21 of partially circular form in the flanges 13, which recesses 21 communicate with the recesses forming the chamber 9 and thus permit free downward movement of the roller 16 while providing stop surfacesv against which the uppermost surfaces of the ends of the roller may bear to limit the upward movement of the roller to a point below the level of the extreme upper portions of the guide flanges 13. Thus it will he undern stood that at all levels of the contact roller 16 the trolley wire will be received in a channel 12 of some material depth and formed by guard flanges 13 which will operate to prevent, under all normal conditions, any lateral displacement of the, trolley from the wire, even when the trolley encounters sharp curves and lateral dei'lections in the wire.

By the use of the contact roller 1G, which, unlike the trolley wheel, does not revolve upon Yan independent axis, but upon its own axis and is also slidably mounted for vertical movement in the trolley head, 'provision is made fora free and easy rolling contact between the trolley and the trolley wire and for a free and unobstructed cushioned vertical movement of the Contact roller in a vertical plane, so that it will under all normal conditions maintain Contact with the wire, while disengagement of the trolley head from the wire, even in the event of temporary movement of thehead out of contact with the trolley wire, will be prevented bythe side guards or flanges 13 which will at the same time maintain electrical conducting connection` with the wire. Hence the frequent jumping of the trolley out of Contact with the wire, which occurs with trolleys of ordinary construction, will be prevented, and damage to the trolley wire and its supports correspondingly reduced, as well as the annoyances and inconveniences to traflic caused by displacement of the trolley from the wire. Furthermore, as the roller 16 will rotate at all times freely in Contact with the wire, in

all positions of said roller relative to the trolley head, undue wear and tear upon the trolley wire which would be caused by sliding contact of the roller therewith will be efectually obviated. The construction described is, also advantageous in enabling the trolley to be easily, conveniently and cheaply constructed and its parts assembled for use and disassembled for purpose of cleaning and repairs.

Having thus fully described my invention, l claimoz Y 1. In a trolley, a trolley head comprising a .pair of vertically divided members having their inner faces formed toV provide a vertical chamber and guideways and a wire receiving channel above and communicating with said chamber and having guard flanges at opposite sides thereof, a spring supported bearing in said chamber, and a Contact roller in guided connection with the members of the head and journaled for rotation upon said roller.

2. In a trolley, a trolley head including a pair of spaced members vprovided upon their inner sides with recesses forming a chamber having guide walls and with guard flanges providing a trolley wire receivingy channel above said chamber and communicating therewith, said flanges having bearing and retaining recesses in their inner faces, a bearing blockmounted in said chamber and guided by the guide walls thereof and provided with a bearing recess, means yieldingly supporting said bearing block, and a contact roller mounted in the bearing recess 0f .the bearing block and engagingand limited in upward movement by the bearing and retaining recesses in thevflanges. t o

3. A vtrolley comprising a trolley head formed of detachably connected members, said members having their inner faces recessed to provide a guide chamber and guideways and terminating at their upper ends in guide flanges forming a trolley wire receiving channel and communicating with said chamber, the inner surfaces 'of the flanges being provided with guide and retaining recesses, a bearing block movable vertically in said chamber and guidedpby the guide walls thereof, said block havinga bearing recess in its upper face, a contact roller journaled in the bearing recess in the block and having its end portions engageable with said guide andretaining recesses, a stem connected with the block and slidably mounted on the head, and a coiled spring in the chamber and surrounding the head between the block and bottom of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

" HARRY E. BUTTS. 

